The present invention relates generally to an optical fiber connector and, more particularly, to a connector for accurately laterally aligning single optical fibers.
More specifically, the present invention relates to a connector for joining one end of a single optical fiber to one end of another single optical fiber, in which the fiber ends are each sealed uncentered into a cylindrical ferrule capable of rotating about its axis. Each ferrule is supported in the eccentric cylindrical bore of a cylindrical connector sleeve so that the axes of the ferrule and the connector sleeve will extend parallel in relation to one another. A connector receptacle of the connector serves to connect to one another in proper alignment the cylindrical connector sleeves containing the fiber ends to be joined.
Such a connector has already become known from the German Offenlengungschrift (DT-OS) No. 24 57 165, especially from FIG. 4 thereof. Mutual alignment of the fiber ends to be joined to one another is effected in the known arrangement in that each fiber end is capable of being turned in a double eccentricity about the axis of the connector sleeve. The outer sleeve, i.e. the connector sleeve, is provided on one hand with an eccentric axial bore in which the inner sleeve, i.e. the ferrule in which the fiber is mounted, is rotatably supported. The fiber core is also sealed eccentricallly into the ferrule. In this way, it is possible to effect the alignment with respect to one another of the optical axes of the fiber ends to be joined, but as a rule, they are not brought to coincide with the common center axis of the connector sleeves connected to one another in proper alignment. This has the disadvantage of requiring readjustment after each parting and re-establishment of the connection. Merely in the special case where the eccentricity of the fiber with respect to the ferrule is the same as that of the ferrule with respect to the connector sleeve is it possible to adjust the optical axes of the fiber ends to the center axis of the connector sleeves, so that they, when fixed in this position, will again be exactly in alignment each time the connection is re-established.
Moreover, a surface bearing of the ferrule without any play inside the connector sleeve calls for a high processing accuracy, so that with the exception of laboratory applications, such a solution will hardly ever be suitable for being used from an economical point of view.
It is, therefore, the object of the present invention to provide a connector of the kind mentioned hereinbefore, in which the optical axes of the fiber ends to be joined can always be adjusted to the mechanical center axis of the associated connector sleeve.